Stoke City Intensify Search for Striker, Targeting Fally Mayulu
Stoke City's hunt for a reliable striker has reached new urgency after the club slapped a £2.5 million bid on Bristol City’s Fally Mayulu. Stoke, currently scrambling to avoid dropping down from the Championship, see Mayulu as a gamble worth taking as they rebuild their squad up front.
Mayulu, just 22, joined Bristol City last summer from Rapid Wien in Austria. It didn’t take the club long to hand him a long-term deal running until 2028. But things haven’t exactly taken off for him at Ashton Gate. Under Liam Manning, he’s made only 15 appearances and scored twice—hardly headline numbers for a forward. In fact, there have been plenty of weekends where he’s not even made the matchday squad.
Yet Stoke’s interest is clear. With Tom Cannon suddenly heading back to Leicester—and strong buzz linking Cannon to Sheffield United—the attack at Stoke has thinned out. To make matters worse, Nathan Lowe, who grabbed headlines by hitting double figures in goals and assists on loan at Walsall, is still untested at Championship level despite those strong League Two numbers.
So why turn to Mayulu? Stoke are focusing on Fally Mayulu’s raw power and his past displays in Austria. While his Championship impact is still mostly on paper, the club clearly believes they can unlock more from him than he’s shown so far. It’s a bit of a roll of the dice, but it’s driven by desperation. Relegation is looming, and the middle of the pitch has not delivered the goals they need to keep their heads above water.
Bristol City Not Rushing to Sell Amid Contract Complications
It’s not obvious where Bristol City stands. On one hand, Mayulu hasn’t forced his way into the XI. On the other, he’s only been at the club a matter of months and carries a contract lasting until 2028. This gives Bristol plenty of bargaining muscle—they can drive a hard deal or simply refuse to listen if they believe Mayulu will come good. There’s been no public indication yet about which way they’ll lean.
Potters boss Mark Robins knows time is tight this window. The club is also tracking Ipswich's Ali Al-Hamadi and Liverpool’s Jayden Danns as plan B and C if the Mayulu deal meets a dead end. All three names fit a similar profile: young, athletic, and not yet proven at the very top of the Championship, but offering hope for the future. The concern is Stoke need a proven finisher right now, not a long-term project.
With the clock ticking on the transfer window and the relegation battle heating up, every move in the striker market feels like a high-stakes hand. Stoke fans are hoping one of these bets pays off, and soon—otherwise, the risk isn't just missing out on a new striker, but missing out on staying up in the Championship.
